Display sign



Sept. 19, 1939. W D. BROWN 2,173,197

DISPLAY SIGN Filed Nov. 29, 1958 C WDo-naldsan zowz.

Y l BY?? Jmwqymzm CTI Patented Sept. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to display signs and is particularly directed to a me-ans of rigidly clamping a sign on a desired surface for the display of advertising matter appearing thereon.

Objects of my invention are: to provide a display sign which may be readily and quickly positioned on or removed from a desired supporting surface; to provide a clamping means which is horizontally and, to a limited extent, vertically adjustable, so that it is capable of holding a sign on supporting surfaces having a number of different sizes and shapes; to provide a novel means of fastening the clamp to a sign; and to provide a novel sign having a number of formed portions which cooperate with the clamping means to bring about many of the advantages obtained by the clamp means.

Other objects will be apparent from the following specication and drawing, in which:

l is a front elevational View of my display sign and shown for illustration as being positioned upon a cash register.

Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview of my display sign.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View taken on line d i of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 3 showing another position of my clamping means. j

The embodiment of my invention comprises a display sign E formed from sheet metal or other suitable material and having a forward depending flange l, an upstanding advertisement-bearing portion 8 and a horizontal base portion 9 disposed therebetween. The display sign, for the sake of illustration, is shown positioned upon the top of a cash register I which has an elongated and substantially square upper portion. My display sign. however, may be positioned upon supporting surfaces of various sizes and shapes because of the specic construction of the clamping means to be hereinafter described and set forth.

The clamping means for the sign is preferably constructed from a exible or resilient rod or Wire Ii which is provided with a central U-shaped portion i2, said portion being provided with elongated and vertically disposed leg portions I3. The rod is also provided with two horizontal straight portions I4 which extend at right angles from and in alignment with the vertical legs of the Unshaped portions, said straight portions terminating in depending feet I formed at the extremities thereof. Disposed centrally of and adjacent the rear lower edge of the upstanding portion 8 of the sign is a narrow plate I6 which is (Cil. 40-125) adapted to hold the rod in any vertically adjusted position.

To this end the plate is provided with two spaced hemispherical offsets Il which engage the legs I3 of the U-shaped portion I2. A bolt and 5 nut I8 runsvthrou'gh the upstanding portion 8 and the plate and is disposed at a point located between the offsets, said bolt and nut being employed as a means of clamping the rod to the sign. Y l0 In their normal inoperative position the straight portions I4 of the rod abut the rear surface of the upstandingportion 8 of the sign asindicated by dotted -lines in Fig. 3. To place said rod under tension ,and vto adapt it for clamping action, the straight portions I4 are sprung outwardly inY an arcuate direction until the feet I5 may be hooked over the rear vertical edge of the supporting surface. A horizontal clamping action is thereby set up between'the depending feet 20 I5 and the depending lforward flange 'I of the sign. It will be noted that the flange 'I depends a substantial distancebeneath the horizontal base portion of the sign and that4 the feet I5 are substantiallyelongated. By means of the verti- V25 cal adjustment provided for the clamp and the elongation of the aforementioned ange and feet, various forms of supporting surfaces may be used for positioning the sign.

The sign may be readily and quickly positioned on or removed from a supporting surface, by merely grasping the display portion of the sign, hooking the feet I5 to the rear vertical wall of the supporting'surfjac'e and moving the sign forward against the spring tension of the clamping means and then hooking the front flange 'I over the front edge of said supporting surface. By reason of the vrelatively `great l,arcuate distance throughV which-thefa-rms may be moved, the clamp serves to position the sign upon surfaces 40 having great differences in transverse cross-sectional dimensions.

As illustrated in Fig. 5, my display sign 6 may be positioned o-n surfaces I9 having a transverse dimension less than the width of the horizontal portion 9 of said sign. To this end bolt I8 of the described sign is loosened toI permit the Wire to be moved relative to the plate I6 to its lowermost vertical position. The plate is again fastened to the wire, the horizontal straight portions then being well beneath the underside of the horizontal portion of the sign. The straight portions are then manually grasped and moved beneath the sign to a position adjacent the flange 1 (indicated as 20) thus distorting the 55 wire to a normal unclamped position indicated substantially by said lines 20. The sign is positioned by engaging the feet l5 of the wire and the vertical rear side of the support, moving the sign forward against resilient action of the wire and hooking the flange over the front side of the support. Instead of bending the wire Il of the clamping means, shown in Figs. l and 4, to a position adjacent the fiange 1 (indicated as 20 in Fig. 5) to distort it for clamping the sign 6 to surfaces having transverse dimensions less than the width of horizontal portion 9 of the sign, it is contemplated fastening a rod to said sign which has been previously formed to normally occupy the position indicated as 20 in Fig. 5.

What is claimed is:

l. In combination with a display sign having a depending ange, of avclamping means comprising a resilient rod having a central upstanding portion rigidly fastened to the sign, straight portions angularly disposed to and extending from the central portion, and depending feet formed at the extremities of the straight portions.

2. In a display sign, the combination of a sign having a depending fiange, and a clamping means comprising a rod having a centrally formed upstanding portion, means for fastening the central portion of the rod to the sign, horizontal straight portions extending from the central portion and depending feet formed at the extremities of the straight portions, said horizontal portions normally abutting the rear surface of the sign and adapted to be sprung outwardly to divergent clamping position.

3. In a display sign, the combination of a sign having a depending flange, and a clamping means comprising a wire having a central upstanding portion, means for fastening the central portion to the sign, horizontal straight portions extending from the central portion, and depending feet formed at the extremities of the straight portions, said horizontal portions being normally adjacent the flange and adapted to be sprung outwardly to operative clamping position.

4. In a display sign, the combination of a sign having a depending flange, and a vertically adjustable clamping means comprising a rod having a vertically formed, elongated, central portion, horizontal straight portions extending from the vertical portion, and depending feet formed at the extremities of the straight portions, and a stationary plate fastened to the sign and adapted to engage the vertical portion of the rod and hold it in any adjusted vertical position.

5. In a display sign the combination of a sheet metal sign having a depending forward ange, an upstanding advertisement-bearing portion and a horizontal base portion therebetween, and a clamping means comprising a resilient wire having an inverted U-shaped portion located centrally thereof and fastened to the rear of said upstanding portion of the sign, horizontal straight portions extending from the U-shaped portion and depending feet formed at their extremities, said horizontal portions normally abutting the rear surface of the upstanding portion, and adapted to be sprung outwardly to divergent clamping position.

6. In a display sign the combination of a sheet metal sign having a depending forward flange, an upstanding advertisement-bearing portion, and a horizontal base portion therebetween, and a clamping means comprising a spring-metal rod having an inverted U-shaped portion centrally thereof, horizontal straight portions extending from the U-shaped portion and depending feet formed at the extremities of the straight portions, and means for fastening the rod to the rear side of the upstanding portion of the sign.

'7. In a display sign the combination of a sheet metal sign having a depending forward flange, an upstanding indicia-bearing portion, and a horizontal base portion therebetween, and a clamping means comprising a spring-metal rod having an inverted U-shaped portion centrally thereof, horizontal straight portions extending at right angles from the lower ends of the vertical parts of the U-shaped portion, and depending feet formed at the extremities of the straight portions and means for fastening the rod to the rear, lower end of the upstanding portion of the sign comprising a plate with two spaced, hemispherical offsets formed therein and adapted to engage the U-shaped portion of the rod l and means located between the offsets for rigidly fastening the plate to the sign.

8. In a display sign the combination of a sheet metal sign having a depending forward flange, an upstanding indicia-bearing portion and a horizontal base portion therebetween, and a clamping means comprising a spring-metal rod having an inverted U-shaped portion centrally thereof, horizontal straight portions extending at right angles from the lower ends of the vertical legs of the U-shaped portion, and depending feet formed at the extremities of the straight portions and means for adjustably fastening the rod to the rear, lower end of the upstanding portion of the sign and comprising a narrow plate provided with two spaced, hemispherical offsets adapted to engage any desired part of the U- shaped portion of the rod and means located between the offsets and engaging the plate for rigidly fastening the rod to the sign in the desired adjusted position, said horizontal portions normally abutting the rear surface of the upstanding portion and adapted to be sprung outwardly to divergent clamping position.

W. DONALDSON BROWN. 

